Infusion pumps deliver fluids (e.g., drugs or medication) to patients over an extended period of time. Specifically, infusion pumps may be used to administer drugs to patients over long durations, which may be prohibitive to administer by direct injection. Infusion pumps may deliver fluids (e.g., medications) through an intravenous (“IV”) tube, which due to various reasons may become blocked or occluded.
Tube occlusions are problematic because they may cause an infusion pump to display an erroneous volume infused. Additionally, an inaccurate record of total volume infused may result in an inappropriate clinical decision when prescribing further IV therapy. Additionally, a tube occlusion may delay the administration of critical medications. Delaying the administration of medications to patients may cause complications and negatively affect the patient's health. For example, delaying the administration of fast-acting drugs (e.g., dopamine, oxytocin, nitroprusside), such as a pain reliever, may cause the patient to experience pain for a longer period of time until the occlusion is remedied. Additionally, the result of delaying the administration of slower-acting drugs, whose effects are not immediately recognized (e.g., heparin, insulin, lidocaine) and may not be realized for several hours, may further delay the effects of the drug. By the time the drug is properly administered, it may take another several hours before the patient receives the benefit of the drug.